Great Character Actors of Today #7

January 17, 2012

Relatively Insignificant Early Role That I Recall Fondly Due to My David E. Kelley Fetish: As the ex-wife of beleaguered lawman Jimmy Brock (Tom Skerritt) on Picket Fences, still the record-holder for the all-time greatest TV ensemble.

Her Magnum Opus: As the mother of two of the superpowered protagonists (Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia) on Heroes. I suspect that Angela Petrelli was initially an insignificant or short-term part, or else they would have cast a name actress in it. But Rose, with her clenched jaw and enigmatic glare, turned Angela into one of the show’s most prominent villains, held her own against star-turn baddies Malcolm McDowell and Robert Forster, scored main-title billing, and survived till the very end of the show. Bravo.

See, I Told You About Picket Fences: Q: “You’ve appeared in many great TV shows. If you could pick any one to return to, which would it be, and why?” A: “Angela Petrelli aside, the one that comes immediately to mind is Lydia Brock, on Picket Fences. When I came out here [to Los Angeles], I had a lot of fun doing sitcoms. I came out here from New York in 1986, and I did several sitcom pilots, and in the early nineties I really wanted to dso hour-long shows. I love humor, and theatricality – humor and drama together are the perfect blend. I think you get to a person’s heart through humor, and then you get into the heart and you wrench it. It’s a very powerful way to make a point. And Lydia Brock was one of those people . . . . Kathy Baker and I used to have great scenes together. Beautifully written. A beautifully defined character.” (From a long video interview with Rose here.)

One Response to “Great Character Actors of Today #7”

Great choice for the spotlight! And for me as well, it was her role as the first Mrs Brock that made me take notice of her career. When I’d see her name in the opening credits as a guest star, I always knew that particular episode would be better because of her presence.